Linehan Fall Out

So what did the 49ers learn, if anything, from the Scott Linehan snub for their still gapingly open offensive coordinator position? They learned that even with the momentum and energy generated by new coach Mike Singletary, they still occupy a low-rent place in the NFL hierarchy; they might have also learned that decisive action is rarely wrong.

Linehan ditched the 49ers for the mere possibility of employment with the Buccaneers, Jets or presumably the four other teams looking for offensive coordinators. The stain of the last five playoff-less seasons, the team’s awkward firings of head coaches, the organizations inability to work a stadium deal, and the legions of former administrators, players and coaches who delight in bad-mouthing the current stewardship of the team make the 49ers close to last on the NFL’s place of employment list.

Unfortunately, the 49ers are a team still laboring under the York ownership, even though son Jed York has now replaced his father as the organization’s face and presumably, chief decision-maker. Under the Yorks, the 49ers have become a team others kick around. Just put the Linehan snub in with last year’s docking of a draft pick for what appeared to be a feeble tampering case in the 49ers pursuit of Bears linebacker Lance Briggs. The league wanted to make example of someone and the lowly 49ers proved to be an easy target. The team doesn’t get much love from the major media outlets. An ESPN ticker constantly announced the possibility of Dom Capers becoming the defensive coordinator in Green Bay, but completely ignored the 49ers-Linehan news, even though the Linehan news was all over local blogs and web sites.

What the 49ers sorely lack is an experienced and respected decision-maker, who can size up a Scott Linehan right after the season, see his grounding in the digital system, his past work with Shaun Hill, and most importantly, his success as a coordinator and say, “He’s our guy!”

On the morning after the last day of the season, Mike Martz should have been fired and Linehan halfway hired. The only question I would have for Linehan was if he still had a passion for creating game plans. He called plays in St. Louis but seemed to constantly be handing off the duties to others (Greg Olson, Al Saunders). If Linehan retains that desire (and I think he does) he should have been announced in the week after the season. Instead, it took the 49ers nearly four weeks to simply offer him the job and by then other opportunities drew Linehan away

.

Where’s the liver-spotted old football hand who might be able to tell the first-year head coach, the 27-year-old owner and the second-year general manager to act immediately? And why are the 49ers so resistant to hiring such a person?